Forty percent of the output of hardwood lumber mills winds up in long-lived products. The carbon in these products is sequestered for a sufficient period, long enough that the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) provided credits for the carbon stored in these products in their carbon offset market. While the CCX’s offset market is no longer viable the concept is still relevant.

A recent study undertaken by the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky and supported by funding from the US Forest Service’s Wood Education and Resource Center (see below) provides tools for helping mills determine both their carbon footprint as well as determine the feasibility of participating in a carbon market that provides for carbon credits based on the production of long-lived wood products. The tools were developed in conjunction with the Mountain Association for Community and Economic Development and are designed specifically for hardwood mills.

The following are descriptions and links to the tools as well as training materials designed to assist users.

Decision Tools:

Mill Carbon Footpint Calculator
The Caculator is an Excel worksheet that allows hardwood mills to input their energy usage by fuel type and generates their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The Calculator also provides benchmarks of energy usage and GHG emissions from five example mills.

CCX Long Lived Wood Products Market Calculator
This Excel worksheet is designed to allow users to input CoC certification costs, total mill annual production, percent of total mill production that is certified, and a range of potential values per metric ton of Carbon Dioxide equivalents (COe). The worksheets allow the user to determine the breakeven point of participating in an offset carbon market under differing mill conditions and COe values.

Carbon Footprints and Carbon Offsets Training Materials
Below are links to a presentation on the use of the Decision Tools including the Mil Carbon Footprint Calculator and the CCX Long Lived Wood Products Market Calculator and a pdf of the presentation.

The work upon which this [publication/CD/DVD/software/other product] is based was funded in whole or in part through a grant awarded by the Wood Education and Resource Center, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Award Number 09-DG-11420004-079).In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.